Natural Selection Flashcards

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1
Q

Adaptation

A

a characteristic that improves an individuals ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

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2
Q

Species

A

a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring.

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3
Q

Evolution

A

the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise.

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4
Q

Fossil

A

the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes.

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5
Q

Fossil Record

A

a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the earths crust.

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6
Q

Trait

A

A genetically determined characteristic.

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7
Q

Selective Breeding

A

The human characteristic of a breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics.

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8
Q

Natural Selection

A

The process by which individuals are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution.

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9
Q

Generation Time

A

The period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation.

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10
Q

Speciation

A

the formation of new species as a result of evolution.

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11
Q

Relative Dating

A

any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects.

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12
Q

Absolute Dating

A

any method of measuring the age of an object or event in years.

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13
Q

Geologic Time Scale

A

the standard method used to divide the earths long natural history into manageable parts.

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14
Q

Extinct

A

describes a species that has died out completely.

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15
Q

Plate Tectonics

A

the theory that explains how large pieces of the earths outer most layer called tectonic plates move and change shape.

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16
Q

Primate

A

a type of mammal characterized by opposable thumbs and binocular vision.

17
Q

Hominid

A

a type of primate characterized by bipedalism, relatively long lower limbs, and a lack of tail.

18
Q

Homo sapiens

A

the species of hominids that includes modern humans and their closest ancestors and that first appears about 100,000-160,000 years ago.